Sealing arrangement for a closure for a fitment

ABSTRACT

A closure for a fitment is provided with an outer side wall extending downwardly therefrom and spaced from an inner sealing ring wherein the outer side wall adjacent the top wall is provided with a plurality of spaced inwardly extending ribs, adapted for embedding into a lip at the outlet of a fitment neck.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to an improved sealing arrangementof a closure with a container and more particularly to an improvedsealing arrangement for a closure having an inner sealing ring engagablein sealing relation with the inner surface of the neck of a container orfitment.

[0002] In the manufacture of containers having dispensing fitments orspouts attached to the tops thereof, it is common to utilize a closurefor these fitments which include an inner sealing ring spaced from anouter downwardly depending skirt of the closure with a neck wall of thedispensing fitment being sandwiched between the inner sealing ring andthe outer skirt of the closure when in a closed condition. Forrelatively small closures, such as those that are used for gable topcartons of milk, orange juice and other liquids, the closures and thefitments are generally made of relatively flexible plastic material.And, it is common in the manufacture of these closures and fitments forthe manufacturer to utilize too much torque in the initial fitting ofthe closure to the fitment, thereby damaging the dispensing fitment. Toomuch torque chews up the fitment on the bottom and the broken pieces offitment may fall into the container when the fitment is initially placedonto the container. Furthermore, it has been found that with prior artclosures, when a closure gets hit with a blow that results in a slightunscrewing of the closure, the resistance of the plug or inner sealingring on the inner surface of the neck of the closure or fitment is notsufficient to keep it from unscrewing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] It is an object of the present invention to provide a closure fora threaded fitment having an inner sealing ring which engages with theinner surface of a fitment neck wall with an improved seal between theclosure and the fitment.

[0004] It is another object of the present invention to provide aclosure having a top wall with an outer skirt or side wall and an innersealing ring spaced inwardly from the outer skirt, the skirt and sealingring extending downwardly wherein an inner surface of the skirt includesa plurality of vertically extending ribs circumscribing an upper portionof the skirt adjacent the top wall for embedding into a neck wall or lipof a container or fitment when the closure is screwed down onto thecontainer or fitment.

[0005] It is a further object of the present invention to provide aclosure with ribs or flats circumferentially spaced along a downwardlyextending skirt adjacent an inside top wall of the closure with a spacedinner ring seal to provide added support to a fitment lip.

[0006] It is also an object of the present invention to provide aclosure having vertically extending ribs along an upper inner surface ofan outer side wall of a relatively hard plastic material for engagementwith a fitment which is made of a softer plastic material so that whenthe ribs embed into the fitment, this provides sufficient drag torque toprevent the closure from unscrewing in sorting and handling equipment.

[0007] More particularly, the present invention provides a closure for afitment for a container or a container neck which includes a top wallwith an outer side wall extending downwardly therefrom with an innersealing ring spaced inwardly from the side wall. The outer side wall isprovided with vertically extending ribs spaced circumferentially aroundthe upper inner surface of the side wall for engagement with a fitmentlip as the closure is moved downwardly onto the fitment. Preferably, thevertically extending ribs have an outer edge which is angled downwardlyin a direction toward an inner surface of the downwardly extending sidewall. Moreover, the inner sealing ring is preferably provided with alower beveled terminating edge engagable with the fitment neck and thespacing between the upper portion of the rib and an upper portion of anouter surface of the sealing ring is less than the thickness of thefitment neck so that as the closure is moved down onto the fitment neck,the ribs embed into the lip of the fitment neck.

[0008] All of the above outlined objectives are to be understood asexemplary only and many more objectives of the invention may be gleanedfrom the disclosure herein. Therefore, no limiting interpretation of theobjectives noted is to be understood without further reading of theentire specification, claims, and drawings included herewith. Variousother feature of the present invention will become obvious to oneskilled in the art upon reading the disclosure set forth herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009]FIG. 1 is a side view of a preferred closure of the presentinvention with a fitment for a container;

[0010]FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the closure and fitment of FIG. 1;

[0011]FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along line3-3 of FIG. 2;

[0012]FIG. 3A is the sectional view of FIG. 3 showing the closure in aclosed condition on a fitment;

[0013]FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional perspective viewshowing details of selected portions of the closure of the presentinvention; and,

[0014]FIG. 5 is fragmentary bottom plan view of another preferredclosure of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0015]FIG. 1 shows a plastic cap or closure 10 of the present inventionscrewed onto a neck 13 of a fitment 12 which is generally attached to acontainer for liquids, such as a container for soft drinks, juices, orthe like. Generally the closure 10 is made of a harder plastic materialthan the fitment 12. Examples of plastic materials used for the closures10 include, but are not limited to polypropylene whereas examples ofplastic materials used for the fitments 12, include but are not limitedto polyethylene. Moreover, the terms fitment and containers andcontainer necks are used interchangeable throughout this application.

[0016] As shown in FIGS. 2-4, the closure 10 is provided with a top wall24 and a downwardly extending outer side wall 20 with an inner sealingring 22 spaced inwardly from the outer side wall 20. The outer side wall20 is generally provided with threads 28 for mating with threads 18 onthe fitment neck 13.

[0017] Spaced circumferentially along the upper inner surface of theouter side wall 20 is a plurality of vertically extending ribs 30. Eachrib 30 is provided with an inner edge 36 which is angled downwardlytoward the inner surface of the side wall 20 terminating with a lowerterminating edge 32. Thus, as best shown in FIG. 3, when the closure 10is placed upon the fitment neck 13, the spacing between the rib 30 andthe sealing ring 22 is greater than the thickness, as identified at “y”,of the fitment neck 13. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 3, the upper portion32 of the rib 30 is spaced from the sealing ring 22 by a distance “x”which is less than the thickness “y” of the fitment neck 13.

[0018] The sealing ring 22 is provided with a lower terminating edge 26which is shown as a beveled edge for ease of engagement with the lip 16of the fitment neck 13. As shown in FIG. 3A, as the closure 10 isrotated and threaded downwardly onto the fitment neck 13, the lip 16 iscaught between the ribs 30 and the outer surface 27 of the sealing ring22. Preferably, the closure 10 is made of a harder plastic material thanthe fitment 12 and as the closure is threadably received by the fitmentneck 13, the sealing ring 22 forces the lip 16 into the upper portion 32of the ribs 30. With the ribs 30 embedded into the fitment neck 13 atthe lip 16, this provides additional drag torque to prevent the closure10 from unscrewing by sorting and handling equipment (not shown).

[0019] Also, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 3A, top wall 24 is provided with acircumferential flange or second seal 40 on an inner surface thereof andspaced between outer wall 18 and sealing ring 22. Second seal 40, asbest shown in FIG. 3A, embeds into lip 16 when closure 10 is in a closedcondition.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 5, the ribs 30 have been modified. In thisembodiment the closure 10 is provided with an outer side wall 120 havinga plurality of inwardly extending flat portions 130 instead of thedistinctive rib sections 30. The flats 130 are of generally the sameangled downwardly extending configuration of the ribs 30 and are alsoprovided with lower terminating edges (not shown) similar to the lowerterminating edges 38 of ribs 30.

[0021] It is to be understood that various changes can be made by oneskilled in the art to the preferred embodiments discussed herein withoutdeparting from the scope or spirit of the present invention as set forthin the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A closure for a fitment for a containercomprising: a top wall, an outer side wall extending downwardlytherefrom and an inner sealing ring spaced inwardly from said side wall,the outer side wall having circumferentially spaced vertically extendingribs along an upper inner surface adjacent said top wall, the innersealing ring having a lower terminating edge engagable with a lip of afitment neck, the spacing between an upper portion of said ribs and anupper portion of an outer surface of said sealing ring being less thanthe thickness of said fitment neck.
 2. The closure of claim 1, saidvertically extending ribs having outer edges angled downwardly in adirection towards an inner surface of said outer side wall.
 3. Theclosure of claim 2, the spacing between lower terminating edges of saidouter edges of said ribs and said outer surface of said sealing ringbeing greater than the thickness of said container neck.
 4. The closureof claim 1, said lower terminating edge of said sealing ring beingbeveled.
 5. The closure of claim 1, said top wall having a downwardlyextending flanged portion spaced between said upper portion of said riband said outer surface of said inner sealing ring.
 6. The closure ofclaim 1, said closure having at least one thread disposedcircumferentially along an inner surface of said outer wall.
 7. Theclosure of claim 1, said fitment being unitary with said container.
 8. Aclosure in combination with a fitment for a container comprising: saidfitment having a fitment neck; said closure having a top wall with anouter side wall extending downwardly therefrom and an inner sealing ringspaced inwardly from said side wall, the outer side wall havingcircumferentially spaced vertically extending ribs along an upper innersurface adjacent said top wall, the inner sealing ring having a lowerterminating edge engagable with a lip of a fitment neck inner surface,the spacing between an upper portion of said ribs and an upper portionof an outer surface of said sealing ring being less than the thicknessof said fitment neck.
 9. The combination of claim 8, said verticallyextending ribs having outer edges angled downwardly in a directiontowards an inner surface of said outer side wall.
 10. The combination ofclaim 9, the spacing between lower terminating edges of said outer edgesof said ribs and said outer surface of said sealing ring being greaterthan the thickness of said container neck.
 11. The combination of claim8, said lower terminating edge of said sealing ring being beveled. 12.The combination of claim 8, said top wall having a downwardly extendingflanged portion spaced between said upper portion of said rib and saidouter surface of said inner sealing ring.
 13. The combination of claim8, said closure having at least one thread disposed circumferentiallyalong an inner surface of said outer wall.
 14. The combination of claim8, said fitment being unitary with said container.
 15. The combinationof claim 8, said closure and said fitment being made of plasticmaterials, said closure being of a harder plastic material than saidfitment.
 16. A closure and container combination, comprising: acontainer neck extending upward and having at least one thread formedthereon; a closure threadably engaging said container neck, said closurehaving a top wall and a depending annular side wall, said side wallhaving at least one thread thereon and a depending annular seal, saidclosure also having an defined area about the joinder of said side walland said top wall, said defined area populated with a plurality ofabutments thereby forming a decreased width between said plurality ofabutments and said annular seal wherein said decreased width is lessthan the thickness of said container neck.
 17. A closure for a fitment,comprising: a fitment having an upstanding neck and at least one threadformed thereon; a closure having a top wall and a depending annular sidewall with at least one thread on an interior surface thereof, aplurality of ribs formed along an interior area defined by the joiningof said side wall and said top wall, said ribs being substantiallyvertically extending, said closure further having a seal depending fromsaid top wall and spaced interiorly from said plurality of ribs; whereinsaid ribs cause a top portion of said upstanding neck to be compressedbetween said ribs and said seal.
 18. A closure for a fitment,comprising: a fitment having an upstanding neck and at least one threadformed thereon; a closure having a top wall and a depending annular sidewall with at least one thread on an interior surface thereof, aplurality of ribs formed along an interior area defined by the joiningof said side wall and said top wall, said ribs being substantiallyvertically extending, said closure further having a seal depending fromsaid top wall and spaced interiorly from said plurality of ribs andfurther said top wall having a downwardly extending flanged portionbetween said plurality of ribs and said seal; wherein said ribs cause atop portion of said upstanding neck to be compressed between said ribsand said seal.